New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-04

PALESTINE Is THE TINE OF CHRIST. By EDMOND
sT,PrEE. d. u. Translated by ANNIE HARwooD
HoIMDtS. Illustrations aud Plans limo, pi. 527.
A c. Armstrong & son.
Dr. Stapfcr's book had been well and long ap-
proved on the Continent before IN Translation into
English, ard its merits are that ii will, no
doubt. be accepted at once as an important and au-
thoritatve contribution to the most attractive of
all histories. II is written in a pralseworthy man
ner sober spirit of scientific research being tenn
pered and enlightened by unaffected piety. Tho
fuiness OF the scholar never dcgencIates into ped
antry but is always kept vel in hand. he au-
thOrs caution is such as to inspire confidence in
his conclusions. He never jumps at these. never
makes giatuitous assumptions and Iesists the
temptaton-so commonly yielded to-of erect
Ing elaborate superstiuctures upon the merest
fragments of ascertained fact Certainly
he is greatly assisted by the conserva-
tisn of tho East, which enables the archa-
GiogiS to test the records of two thousand years
ago by observation Of the Palestine of to-day. in
number of important particulars. Dr. Stapfer is a
man who so truly possesses the courage OF his con
victlons that he never shrinks from giving scrup-
uousy full weight 10 facts which may seem to
tell against his belief, and no better proof of con-
fdence in his own cause could be given.
Thus III describing the intellectual condition OF
the Jews IN the time of Christ he Is careful
TO put due stress upon the remarkable
prevalence of superstition, the commences OF be-
lief in the supernatural, and the ere uity with
which almost all claims to the possession OF occult
powers were accepted The miracles which per-
pick SO many modern Christians were then supposed
to be within tho reach of many that the most
wonderful OF them the relations of them could
have excited little surprise So also in regard
to tie alleged phenomena of possession or OBJ
SC sion it normal doctrine as to challenge
no dissent for at the time Early all human suffer
ing not manlfestly the effect of natural decay
ascrbed to evil spirits. Medicine had no existence.
The beliefs associated with savagery still held
their own concerning disease and therapeutics. The
general fe Of the period Is traced by Dr. >tapfer in
picturesque detail ard the state of religions schism
winch existed Is clearly scrlbcd. The view he Id
By some modern critics as 10 the boss bic cOnnec-
ton between Jesus and tho Essences is
not accepted by the author, aud the reasons upon
which lie bases his position are certainly weigbty.
The most cog mi of them is the circumstance that
the EsseueS made efior to prose.yt In fact.
their principles were as exclusive "a those Of Jesus
were comprehensive They even imposed period
of probation upon such sought to enter their
aScetIc communities. and they held doctrines,
moreover, which could never have been made popu-
lar or have been understood save by a small
minority. Many of their practices, however, fill
tered through among the people, and some OF these
Jesus evidently had adopted. but quite possibly
without regard 10 their significance.
The account of the Pharsees and the Saddu-
Gees rs full aud careful A detailed descrip-
ti0n OF the Temple Is illustrated by plans. Special
chapters given TO the Synagogue. the Priests of
the Temple. the FeastS. the Sanhedrim, the Home
life of the Jewish People. Pubhc Life. Literature
and the Arts and Sciences. As to literature and
the arts it must be sad that there is little room
for expatIaton. the things themselves having been
practically noa-eXistent among the Jews, and sci
eDce fariug little. II at all, better. The account of
the Talmud is also exceedingly interesting. DR..
Siapfcr does not indorse the view that Jesus
lerrned much from RABBI iiillel. though he holds
that q great many doctrines found in the gospels
mas, have been, To speak. in the air, SINCE they
are paraieled by religions tcac lers " no lived long
before the Christian Yet il is GER
tam that Christ innovator, and that
he conld not have Obtained the wcighiiest
of his teachings from the schools then extant the
latter beng characterized by Journalism which
had long since smOthered all spirituality and led
TO conservative attitude that repealed new ideas.
The concluding chIpter is a ummary of the con-
ciusions warranted by the historical matter brought
together. II Is marked by the same restrained aud
sober spirit which is the dominant note OF the book.
II presents the theory Of an evolutionary move
nj in hA uicfr nj .Tasua and this N